


Biases

by rose_megan



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 15:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14191656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rose_megan/pseuds/rose_megan
Summary: Shaun is faced with prejudice when an anti-vaxxer couple comes into the ER with a sick child.





	Biases

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first TGD fanfic (my first fanfic in general in a looooong time) and I'm soooo excited to be writing again. So, I am murlendez trash and am working on a few Murlendez fics, and this one definitely has a few lil Murlendez touches, but it's more friendship/comforting than anything else.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!

Shaun Murphy had heard of the people who refused to vaccinate their children. He’d heard the stories and read the articles that outline the growing numbers of parents who don’t vaccinate because they’re worried that the children will have a reaction to the drugs, be it speech or motor disabilities, allergic reactions, and -most importantly to many of these people- autism. He was well aware of these preposterous ideas that people get in their heads, and he tried not to think about it because it did not affect him directly, so why dwell on it? Unfortunately, he could only ignore these people for so long, it seemed. He was sitting at the nurse’s counter in the ER, watching the patient vitals on the computer screen for the four patients they currently had. It was another graveyard shift for him, Jared, and Claire. The patients that were there were all stable and either sleeping, awaiting admission to a room, or awaiting scans or testing. Claire sat beside Shaun, absentmindedly spinning back and forth in the office chair and scrolling through her Facebook newsfeed. They were on call, but with no work to be done, what else was she going to do? Jared was standing at the counter in front of them, a tablet in his hands. All was quiet and calm. The dull beeps and buzzes of hospital equipment around them had long since become ambient background noise as they simply waited for something to need done. That was when the phone on the counter rang out, interrupting the silence.

“Emergency.” Claire reached the phone first.

“We have a nine-year-old incoming, sudden cardiac arrest,” the voice rushed out on the other end of the line, “found nonresponsive in bed, down for four minutes.”

The line clicked off before Claire could properly process what was said. After a moment of going over the words in her head, she sprang to action, drawing Shaun and Jared’s attention.

“There’s a nine-year-old kid coming in with sudden cardiac arrest,” she informed them, feeling just as confused as they looked. The dispatcher hadn’t noted any prior history of heart issues. What in the world could cause a child to go into cardiac arrest? Claire told the nurse near them to page Melendez before the three ran to the ambulance bay and gowned up. After a few moments, flashing lights came into view, splashing across the brick. The sirens soon followed and Shaun instinctively raised his hands to his ears in an attempt to block the blaring noise.

“What’s going on?” Melendez asked, coming up behind them and grabbing a gown. He slipped it on, tying it behind his waist before grabbing gloves.

“A nine-year-old with sudden cardiac arrest,” Shaun answered, trying to keep his mind off the screeching sound of the sirens. “It is unknown if the child has a preexisting heart condition.”

Melendez just frowned solemnly as the paramedics rushed in, the doors swishing open in front of them.

“Nine-year old Kelly Marsh, sudden cardiac arrest in her home,” one of the medics began, “bradycardic and thready with BP 150 over 110.”

“Bay 4.” Melendez pointed and the medics obliged, wheeling her toward the curtained off room. Her parents trailed behind, worry painting their faces. “What happened?” Claire directed her question at them and they turned to face her.

“We went to check on her, she wasn’t feeling well the last few days,” her mom began, “I noticed that she was really sweaty and then I noticed-“ she stopped, choking on a sob.

“She wasn’t breathing,” her husband finished for her. “We called 911 and began CPR.”

“Does she have a history of heart issues or infection?” Claire continued as they entered the small cubicle. “A congenital condition or pneumonia…”

Melendez was already prepped for an echo, wheeling the ultrasound machine to the girl’s bedside and turning it on. Jared had begun pumping her with oxygen while Shaun prepped her IV for adrenaline and saline.

“She had the measles last year, but that’s it.” The room fell silent, Melendez pausing for the briefest of moments to throw a glance Claire’s way before pressing the wand to the girl’s chest.

“She… She had the measles?” Clair repeated, nearly in shock. “Did you travel out of the country or…” She trailed off, unsure of what else could have possibly caused this girl to get a condition that less than 200 people contracted last year.

“Is she up to date on her vaccines?” Jared offered from the head of the bed where he was squeezing the Ambu bag to administer the oxygen. The parents looked at each other, the worry still etched into their faces.

“She didn’t get any vaccinations,” the man said in careful measures, “we chose not to vaccinate.”

Silence befell the room once again as the team realized what they were dealing with.

“Why-“

“Vaccines are dangerous,” the mother cut Jared off, her tone becoming defensive, “they can cause horrible adverse reactions, they probably wouldn’t even work, and they could cause _autism_.” She spat the word out like it hurt her to even say it and all eyes immediately went to Shaun. These people likely didn’t realize he was autistic, he hadn’t spoken since they’d arrived, so they hadn’t interacted with him. Melendez felt his heart drop as he saw Shaun’s eyes fall to the ground and his eyebrows knit together. He didn’t show it obviously, but Neil had known Shaun long enough to tell when he was upset.   

"I understand it’s controversial but she’s our daughter and it was our choice,” the mother continued and Melendez turned to them, unable to hide his frustration.

“Your choice may kill your daughter,” his words shot out like venom, causing the couple to recoil, “now please wait outside while we try to save her life.”

His intense glare made them listen as they turned and left, the curtain billowing up as they did.

“Shaun…” Claire started, taking a step towards him as he shook his head.

“It’s okay Claire,” the brown-haired man replied, fidgeting with the empty adrenaline syringe that he’d just inserted into the girl’s IV. “They were wrong. I know that. They’re just uninformed.”

“It _was_ wrong,” Melendez mumbled from the other side of the bed as he studied the echocardiogram on the screen in front of him. “They’re stupid assholes and they caused this.” He was silent a moment before continuing, “besides that, even if their belief were true, there’s nothing wrong with being autistic, Shaun.”

His gentle offer of comfort made Shaun just barely grin as he threw the syringe into the biohazard waste container. He didn’t say anything, but Melendez could tell he appreciated it.

So the measles caused this?” Jared asked, attempting to break the palpable tension in the room, “I know they can lead to a brain infection, but I haven’t read anything about a heart problem.”

“Based on the echo, I’d say it’s myocarditis.” Melendez shut the machine off and grabbed the printed scans. “The oxygen and adrenaline are helping, which tells me it’s likely not an undetected defect. It’s rare, but a recent measles episode can trigger a heart infection. I need a CBC and contrast MRI.” He pulled his gloves off and sighed, “Shaun, come with me.” He just nodded, clasping his hands in front of him and following Melendez out of the room. The two approached the parents, with Shaun standing a good two feet behind the other man.

“Mr. and Mrs. Marsh.” The pair looked up, jumping to their feet at the doctors’ arrival.

“Is she okay?” Mrs. Marsh was clutching her husband’s arm for dear life as she awaited a reply.

“I believe Kelly has something called myocarditis,” Melendez began, “it’s an infection of the heart muscle triggered by the measles.”

“How do you know it was that?” Mr. Marsh was the defensive one now, his jaw set and mouth a thin straight line.

“Has she had any other illnesses besides the measles?” Shaun interjected, his fingers still intertwined in front of him. The couple looked at him confused, obviously noting the near sing-song inflection of his voice as it raised and lowered at each syllable.

“No, nothing more than a cold.”

“Then it was the measles,” Shaun nodded, “myocarditis is caused by exposure to an infection, certain heavy metals, other heart conditions such as a defect, or certain drugs such as chemotherapy or antipsychotic medications.”

“This is Dr. Shaun Murphy,” Melendez motioned at him, waiting expectantly for the couple’s reaction. “He’s a second-year resident. I’m Dr. Melendez, cardiothoracic surgeon.”

The couple made no attempt to shake his hand or even acknowledge he’d said anything. They looked at Shaun, who had since averted his eyes and was rocking slightly on his feet, then at each other, and finally at Melendez.

“Is he…” Mrs. Marsh looked horrified, “is he autistic?”

“Yes,” Shaun answered, “I have autism. You were wrong before. Vaccines do not cause it. Only one piece of literature exists that suggest the relationship is causal, however the doctor has since lost his medical license for lying. There is no link between vaccines and autism.” He nodded slightly, remembering Melendez’s words from before and adding, “and there’s nothing wrong with being autistic. I am successful, and I have the knowledge to save your daughter. I am very intelligent.”

At that he turned and left, and again, Melendez could tell he was upset and angry. He sighed inwardly and turned back to the parents.

“I will treat your daughter,” he began, “but I will not tolerate your opinions that affect a member of my team. If you have an issue with Dr. Murphy, I will gladly refer you to another hospital.”

“How… How could he possibly be a good doctor?” Mrs. Marsh shook her head, apparently not taking in a single thing Neil had just said. “He’s autistic. Autistics can’t be… They can’t…”

“Dr. Murphy is one of the best residents in this hospital,” Neil cut her off. He was angry now. Despite his opinions of Shaun when he first met him, he’d grown to care for him. He saw his intelligence and promise, and knew he was great surgeon destined to be one of the best. “He’s intelligent, compassionate, and damn good at everything he does. He’s right, he _can_ save your daughter, and he would without question despite your harmful, backwards opinions.” He took a measured breath to reign in his anger, “I’ll put in a call to transfer Kelly to San Jose Presbyterian as soon as she’s stable. Depending on the severity of the infection, she may need an LVAD to assist in heart function.”

“You’re just… Abandoning her care?” Mr. Marsh spat out harshly, “because we have differing opinions?”

“I’m referring you to a hospital that you will obviously be more comfortable at,” Melendez shot back, trying his best to stay at least a little bit professional. “If it came down to where I was the only person who could treat your daughter, I would, but because there are numerous other hospitals with adequate care, I won’t stand by and allow my colleague to be unduly scrutinized and discriminated against.”

“Screw you,” Mr. Marsh shook his head, “and screw this hospital for allowing someone like that-“ he jeered his head in the direction Shaun had went- “to work here.”

“It might serve you well,” Melendez took a step toward him, his voice a soft hiss, “to put your harmful biases behind you and start praying your daughter survives the infection that you caused.”

He turned to leave, breathing heavily through his nose as his anger subsided. He went to the nurse’s station and asked one of them there to put in a referral for Kelly before going to find Shaun.

***

“Shaun?” The man looked up from the computer screen in the doctor’s lounge, his bright eyes glistening slightly. If Melendez didn’t know any better, he’d say he’d been crying. “Can I talk to you?”

“You are talking to me,” Shaun answered, turning slightly in the chair. Melendez just grinned, leaning against the edge of the desk next to him and crossing his arms across his chest.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he told him, his eyebrows knitting together as he looked down at the young man. Shaun was silent a moment before shrugging, his hands placed neatly in his lap,  
“why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“That was… A lot,” Melendez said, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on the desk under him. “That was offensive and rude, and it may have hurt you. I wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

“They were being illogical. If vaccinations caused autism, there would be more autistic people in the country,” Shaun looked anywhere except at Melendez, “they were wrong. They should have listened to Kelly’s pediatrician. I’m sure they told them she needed the vaccines. They have biases. It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay, Shaun,” Neil shook his head, “people have different beliefs, but that doesn’t make them okay. Their belief was harmful, to their daughter and to you. It’s okay to be upset.”

Shaun just stared ahead, fixing his gaze on the door handle and wringing his fingers together in his lap.

“Shaun,” Melendez spoke again, “Shaun look at me.”

He looked around the room before finally landing on his boss.

“I don’t tell you enough, but you’re doing a good job,” he told him, “you’re doing a great job. You have obstacles to overcome that no one else here does and you’re outperforming everyone here and I’m proud of you.”

Shaun just nodded slightly, his entire upper body rocking with the nod of his head, and averted his gaze again. Melendez waited for him to say something, and when he didn’t he just rose and headed for the door, “your shift ends in twenty minutes anyway, you can head out a little early.”

He grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, getting ready to step across the threshold when Shaun spoke up from behind him,

“thank you.” He said it softly, his hands finally calm in his lap, “I _was_ angry, but now I’m not. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Shaun.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want, you can follow me on tumblr :) murlendezendedme


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